Blood is a vital bodily fluid that circulates through our veins and arteries, carrying oxygen and nutrients to tissues and removing waste products. The color of blood is often used as an indicator of its oxygen content – bright red oxygenated blood versus deep red deoxygenated blood. But what causes this color difference and what is the exact color representing oxygenated blood? Let’s dive into the science behind blood’s color.
Hemoglobin and Blood Color
The red color of blood comes from the protein hemoglobin which is contained in red blood cells. Hemoglobin contains iron which binds to oxygen, allowing each hemoglobin molecule to carry 4 oxygen molecules. When hemoglobin is loaded up with oxygen it takes on a bright red color, which is the color we associate with oxygenated blood. On the other hand, hemoglobin without oxygen bound has a deep, dark red hue characteristic of deoxygenated blood.
So in essence, the bright, scarlet red color represents oxygenated blood while the deep, maroon red color is indicative of deoxygenated blood. But describing the exact color of oxygenated blood can be somewhat complex.
Complexities in Describing Oxygenated Blood Color
While oxygenated blood is described as bright or scarlet red, coming up with an exact representative color is complicated by a few factors:
- Light conditions – Blood appears brighter in bright light like sunlight and darker in dim light
- Thickness – More concentrated blood looks darker
- Individual variation – There is some person-to-person variation in blood color
- Oxygen saturation level – Fully saturated blood is brighter than partially saturated blood
So while oxygenated blood is often depicted as a bright cherry red, in reality the color can range from bright crimson to a slightly darker red depending on various conditions. The level of oxygenation also impacts the shade.
Oxygen Saturation Level and Blood Color
While fully oxygenated blood appears scarlet red, blood that is not fully saturated with oxygen takes on a progressively darker red shade. This correlates with the percentage of hemoglobin that has oxygen bound to it, known as oxygen saturation.
Here’s a breakdown of how oxygen saturation level impacts blood color:
| Oxygen Saturation Level | Blood Color |
|---|---|
| 95-100% (normal) | Bright cherry red |
| 90-94% (mild desaturation) | Slightly darker red |
| Less than 90% (hypoxemia) | Progressively darker red |
As you can see, the greater the oxygen saturation, the brighter red the blood appears. Only blood with normal saturation above 95% has that vibrant scarlet red color we think of as oxygenated. Lower saturation results in a progressively darker, deeper red shade.
Viewing Oxygenated Blood In Veins vs Arteries
Where oxygenated blood is viewed also impacts how red it looks. Blood returning from the lungs via the pulmonary veins is fully saturated with oxygen, resulting in scarlet red color. However, once this blood circulates around the body and delivers oxygen, it takes on a darker shade of red. Veins carrying this partially desaturated blood back to the lungs appear blue or green from the skin surface.
Meanwhile, oxygenated blood leaving the heart through the arteries maintains a brighter cherry red color. This is because arteries carry blood directly from the oxygenated pulmonary circulation rather than the systemic circulation. So arterial blood tends to look brighter compared to venous blood.
Summary of Oxygenated Blood Color
In summary, the characteristic color of oxygenated blood is a bright, vivid scarlet or cherry red. However, many factors impact the exact shade including lighting, thickness, oxygenation level, and whether it is viewed in arteries or veins. While a bright crimson red is typically depicted in diagrams, oxygenated blood can range from cherry red in a dense arterial flow to a slightly darker red in the veins.
The takeaway is that the brighter and more vivid the red color, the higher the levels of bound oxygen. A bright cherry red signifies healthy oxygenation above 95% while darker shades of red indicate progressively lower oxygen saturation.
Measuring Blood Oxygen Levels
Blood oxygen levels can be measured directly via a blood gas analysis. This looks at the partial pressure of oxygen in the blood as well as oxygen saturation. Normal arterial blood oxygen is considered 95-100% saturation.
Non-invasive devices can also measure oxygen saturation by shining a light through the skin. This technology is used in pulse oximeters that attach to the finger tip and ear lobe. The light absorption of oxygenated versus deoxygenated hemoglobin is measured to determine the percentage of hemoglobin saturated with oxygen.
Lower than normal oxygen levels can signify respiratory disorders, lung diseases, heart conditions and anemia. Chronically low blood oxygen of 88% or less can lead to organ damage over time. That’s why monitoring blood oxygenation is an important medical diagnostic tool.
Significance of Oxygenated Blood Color in Medicine
The color of oxygenated blood is used to diagnose medical conditions in several ways:
- Cyanosis – Blueish discoloration of skin indicating low oxygen
- Pallor – Pale skin due to lack of oxygenated blood reaching tissues
- Erythema – Reddened skin indicating increased blood flow
- Jaundice – Yellowing indicating excess bilirubin
The color of oxygenated versus deoxygenated blood flowing through the heart can also be distinguished during cardiac catheterization procedures. This allows assessment of oxygen supply to the heart tissue.
Being able to identify blood color variations is an important diagnostic skill in medicine. The ideal oxygenated blood appears scarlet red on visual inspection and registers 95-100% oxygen saturation with instruments. Deviations from this norm can signify underlying health conditions requiring treatment.
Blood Color Variations
While variations in oxygen levels cause the primary blood color differences, some other conditions can alter blood’s normal red hue:
- Methemoglobinemia – Caused by oxidizing agents, blood turns chocolate brown
- Sulfhemoglobinemia – Due to sulfur compounds, blood appears green
- Carboxyhemoglobinemia – Carbon monoxide turns blood cherry red
- Hemolysis – Red blood cell rupture turns blood deep red
Blood color can also be impacted by dyes used in medical procedures. Short term discoloration is not medically concerning. But persistent abnormal blood color can signify an underlying problem requiring treatment.
Conclusion
In summary, bright scarlet or cherry red is the color that represents healthy, oxygenated blood. This results from hemoglobin saturated 95-100% with oxygen. While diagrams depict oxygenated blood as vivid cherry red, small variations can occur due to lighting, thickness and precisely how much oxygen is bound. Darker shades of red signal progressively lower oxygen levels in the bloodstream. Being able to identify blood’s color characteristics is important for medical diagnosis of respiratory and cardiovascular health.
